NEEDHA Open Forum - March 19, 2001

San Diego, California

The following topics were discussed:

1. How to increase the number of US graduate students.

Exchange lists - create web page??

Undergraduate assistantships and research opportunities

BS/MS programs - treat students like scholars

Stipends

2a. Types of departments represented by attendees.

EE only 31

CpE only 2

EECS 5

ECE 49

CSE 3

Other 3

2b. Types of departments when there is more than one department with electrical or computer engineering.

ECE and CSE 4

EE and CSE 10

EE and CpE 5

3. Current starting salaries of new Ph.D. at Assistant Professor.

Below $55k 3

$55-59.9K 11

$60-64.9K 32

$65-69.9K 20

$70K and up 12

4. Number of faculty positions available.

Number of positions Schools

0 13

1 16

2 21

3 19

4 11

5 7

6+ 4

5a. Value of start up packages - Equipment budget.

$0 - 24.9K 22

$25-49.9K 24

$50-74.9K 10

$75-99.9K 6

$100-149.9K 9

$150-199.9K 6

$200-249.9K 1

$250K+ 2

5b. Value of start up packages - Research assistant support.

None 12

One year 26

Two years 20

Three years 3

Four years 6

5c. Value of start up packages - Months of summer support for faculty.

None 7

One month 8

Two months 23

Three months 10

Four months 13

Five months 0

Six months+ 9

6. Number of semester hours for BS degree.

120 1

121-125 6

126-130 46

131-135 25

136-140 8

141+ 2

7. Number requiring a mechanical drawing course (not computer graphics) - 15

8. Number of hours of humanities and social sciences required.

0-16 0

17-24 50

25-32 21

32+ 6

9. Required course in electromagnetic theory.

Course(s) EE CpE

0 6 36

1 55 19

2 16 0

10. Number of schools having formal post-tenure review processes - approx 70%

11. Posting of job openings by NEEDHA.

Board of Directors voted to discontinue use of NEEDHA email list for this purpose - most members ignoring.

Create separate listserve??

Create web site?? (how do you expire postings?) (Links only?)

Package and mail once a week??

Maintain some free type of service

12. Who is eligible to be a member?

The following is from the NEEDHA Constitution:

ANEEDHA membership is open to the official leaders (whether called head, chair, or some other title) of U.S. university departments offering ABET‑accredited electrical and/or computer engineering (or similarly named) programs.

Associate membership in NEEDHA is open to the leaders of similar departments that are either located outside the U.S., or whose programs are not currently accredited.

Affiliate membership in NEEDHA is granted by the NEEDHA Board of Directors to industrial firms with a strong interest in electrical and computer engineering education.@

After discussion there was consensus to leave the membership requirement as is.